The Initial Visit:  The Examination...

"Listen, Look, Feel..."

The initial visit requires time for the doctor to listen to your story, examine you, and tell you about his findings. It will take about an hour. You will be asked to fill out forms first. The examination will assess posture, movement, muscle strength, joint range of motions, reflexes, neurologic and orthopedic tests, etc. It is designed to be functional; that is, it will test the function of your spine and various body regions. We ask that you bring loose fitting clothes to change into as if you were going to a gym. The examination is very educational and often feels good, with many patients stating that they feel better already from the various examination movements they were put through.

After the examination, Dr. DeFranca will talk about his findings, whether he can help you, and to what extent. If time allows and if indicated and agreed upon by both doctor and patient, treatment will be rendered then or scheduled for another day. It is imperative that an examination be done first in order to localize a problem or problems that are amenable to treatment and to arrive at a diagnosis.